The one-off special episode that will kick-off "Sherlock" season 4 officially has a title and release date. The details were released by PBS via Twitter. According to the tweet, the standalone special is titled "The Abominal Bride" and for the first time will premiere simultaneously in the U.K. and the U.S. this Jan. 1.
The official synopsis, courtesy of Collider, doesn't give any details regarding the episode's plot. However, a previous /Film interview with show runner Steven Moffat revealed that the episode will be a ghost story, although whether the ghost is real, a metaphor for a problem Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) faces or something else entirely has yet to be discerned.
However, the synopsis did give one clue: Amanda Abbington will be reprising her role as Mary Morstan, Watson's (Martin Freeman) wife. With a title such as "The Abominable Bride," it is possible that Mary will play a more substantial role than in previous seasons and special episodes.
A report from Radio Times speculates that it might be a reference to the "Sherlock Holmes" story "The Musgrave Ritual." A further analysis of the trailer shows a woman in a wedding dress, presumably dead, with a gun in her hand hinting that the "abominable bride" may have committed suicide.
Rupert Graves and Una Stubbs are also confirmed to be returning as Inspector Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson respectively. Andrew Scott is speculated to make an appearance as the villain Professor Moriarty however this rumor has yet to be confirmed.
It is important to note that the episode will not connect in any way to the main seasons' modern day story despite its use of the same actors and characters. As noted by Moffat to /Film, this will remain as a standalone, an homage and opportunity to adapt the original stories of author Arthur Conan Doyle in the setting they were written in.
Following the Victoria-era special episode, "Sherlock" season 4 will officially begin production in 2016 with a speculated early 2017 premiere date.
